CD83 is a 45 kilodalton glycoprotein that is predominantly expressed on the surface of dendritic cells and other cells of the immune system. Structural analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence of CD83 indicates that it is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. See, Zhou et al., J. Immunol. 149:735 (1992)). U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,920 and WO 95/29236 disclose further information about CD83. While such information suggests that CD83 plays a role in the immune system, that role is undefined, and the interrelationship of CD83 with cellular factors remains unclear.
Moreover, treatment of many diseases could benefit from more effective methods for increasing or decreasing the immune response. Hence, new reagents and methods are needed for modulating the immune system through the CD83 gene and its gene product.